2005 Elantra VE oil change every 12,000Km/12mo?

[CWD]

The dealer asks me to change the engine oil every 5,000Km or 6 months, and 3,000Km for the 1st time. But the user manual says: change the engine oil every 12,000Km or 12 months.

Which one should I follow? Thx.

 

[Brian Nystrom]

The dealer asks me to change the engine oil every 5,000Km or 6 months, and 3,000Km for the 1st time. But the user manual says: change the engine oil every 12,000Km or 12 months.

Which one should I follow? Thx.

Follow the manual, which is all you need to do to maintain your warranty. Hyundai has no incentive to make you change your oil more often than necessary, but the dealer certainly does ($$$). Better still, for the price of a dealer oil change with generic oil, you can do it yourself with a good synthetic.

 

[Just mee]

I would absolutely change the oil every 3,000 miles... Over time, acids build up in oil and can harm the motor (especially the original oil from when the vehicle is new)... If you look in your owner's manual, you should see 2 sets of reccommendations, and you should most always follow the "severe" usage reccommendations, not the "normal" usage reccommendations...

You do not have to pay the dealer to change your oil, take the vehicle elsewhere, and pay less for the oil changes.. Just keep all your receipts as proof to maintain your warranty.

JM

 

[Brian Nystrom]

I would absolutely change the oil every 3,000 miles... Over time, acids build up in oil and can harm the motor (especially the original oil from when the vehicle is new)... If you look in your owner's manual, you should see 2 sets of reccommendations, and you should most always follow the "severe" usage reccommendations, not the "normal" usage reccommendations...

Nonsense! The "3000 mile oil change" is nothing but an old myth that refuses to die. Modern oils have additive packages that last well in excess of the 7500 mile oil change intervals that Hyundai recommends. This has been proven through the use of laboratory oil analysis, as opposed to the hearsay, myth and folklore of the "3000 mile oil change". That's why every car manufacturer now recommendeds extended oil change intervals!

Hyundai and other auto makers have absolutely no reason to recommend oil change intervals that could result in damage to your vehicle. After all, they have to deal with any warranty issues that result, RIGHT??? Changing your oil more often than necessary is a waste of money, time and natural resources, and it's environmentally irresponsible. Old habits die hard, but this is one who's time has definitely come.

 

[CWD]

Thanks for you inputs, especially Brian Nystrom.

I asked Hyundai Auto Canada, below is their official reply (I can't believe it!!!)

"We must say that one flaw from the owner's manual is that it's published for the world markets and does not always cater to the individual markets when it comes down to maintenance. And in our case, the Canadian market, the oil change recommandation if slighly off. We have to consider the cold weather and as such we recommend an oil changed every 3-months or 6,000kms. Have a nice day Hyundai Auto Canada"

The owner's manual also says: "If the car is being driven in severe conditions, more frequent oil and filter changes are required." I am in Toronto, which has similiar climate in New York, I don't believe it's in "severe conditions".

Just mee: I checked my owner's manual, there's 1 set of "schedualed maintenance" only.

Any comments?

 

[Brian Nystrom]

Thanks for you inputs, especially Brian Nystrom.

I asked Hyundai Auto Canada, below is their official reply (I can't believe it!!!)

"We must say that one flaw from the owner's manual is that it's published for the world markets and does not always cater to the individual markets when it comes down to maintenance. And in our case, the Canadian market, the oil change recommandation if slighly off. We have to consider the cold weather and as such we recommend an oil changed every 3-months or 6,000kms. Have a nice day Hyundai Auto Canada"

That's a good point, though I wonder what difference cold weather makes on oil. If you lived in a particularly cold area, there are oils designed specifically for those conditions. A good example would be the 0W-40 synthethic oils that have become the standard in Europe.

If you live in parts of the southwest where it's extremely hot and dusty, you could construe your everyday driving as "severe", too, but if you use an oil appropriate for the climate, you should still be able to use reasonably long intervals.

Since I use synthetics and do mostly highway driving, I don't see any need to shorten the change interval from the "normal conditions" recommendations.

The owner's manual also says: "If the car is being driven in severe conditions, more frequent oil and filter changes are required." I am in Toronto, which has similiar climate in New York, I don't believe it's in "severe conditions".

It would depend on the type of driving you do, but in the times I've spent in Toronto, I've never experienced anything that I would consider "severe condtions". For a large city, the traffic wasn't bad at all and the weather was similar to what we have here in New England, abeit a bit windier.

Just mee: I checked my owner's manual, there's 1 set of "schedualed maintenance" only.

Any comments?

Check the Maintenance Log. Mine only has columns for the normal intervals, but there are notes in red that indicate the "severe conditions" recommendations.

If you really want to know what's going on with your oil, there are services that will do a laboratory analysis of it for you (do a web search for "oil analysis"). They send you a kit with instuctions on how to sample the oil, you send in a sample and they send you back the results of the analysis, along with directions for interpreting them. You could do this once at 3000 miles and see how much life is left in your oil. Repeat it again at the recommended 7500 mile interval. That will give an idea of how often you really need to change your oil. I'll bet that you'll be surprised at the results.

 

[Dan K]

That's a good point, though I wonder what difference cold weather makes on oil. If you lived in a particularly cold area, there are oils designed specifically for those conditions. A good example would be the 0W-40 synthethic oils that have become the standard in Europe.

If you live in parts of the southwest where it's extremely hot and dusty, you could construe your everyday driving as "severe", too, but if you use an oil appropriate for the climate, you should still be able to use reasonably long intervals.

Since I use synthetics and do mostly highway driving, I don't see any need to shorten the change interval from the "normal conditions" recommendations.

It would depend on the type of driving you do, but in the times I've spent in Toronto, I've never experienced anything that I would consider "severe condtions". For a large city, the traffic wasn't bad at all and the weather was similar to what we have here in New England, abeit a bit windier.

Check the Maintenance Log. Mine only has columns for the normal intervals, but there are notes in red that indicate the "severe conditions" recommendations.

If you really want to know what's going on with your oil, there are services that will do a laboratory analysis of it for you (do a web search for "oil analysis"). They send you a kit with instuctions on how to sample the oil, you send in a sample and they send you back the results of the analysis, along with directions for interpreting them. You could do this once at 3000 miles and see how much life is left in your oil. Repeat it again at the recommended 7500 mile interval. That will give an idea of how often you really need to change your oil. I'll bet that you'll be surprised at the results.

Check it every week and change it every 3000 miles if its dirty (black-or close to it). The only car I ever owned that didn't have dirty oil at 3000 miles was a Fiero when I had a job 50 miles away. I was putting 3000 miles on the car in less than a month. For that vehicle/driving condition I felt comfortable going to oil changes every 6000 miles. We have a truck that almost never gets driven, so the oil is always clean. I try and change that oil every other year or so, but I won't go out of my way to change clean oil. Same with my lawn tractor that has a pressurized oil system and an oil filter... the oil is always clean, so I'm not changing it.

Dan K

 

[Wolfgang]

The dealer asks me to change the engine oil every 5,000Km or 6 months, and 3,000Km for the 1st time. But the user manual says: change the engine oil every 12,000Km or 12 months.

Which one should I follow? Thx.

CWD, I asked the similar question (I am in Ottawa): Here was my question:

The various documents that were included with the purchase of my 2004 Elantra include three contradicting statements about the required oil & filter changes for this car. The 2004 Owner's Manual for Elantra, on page 5-4, note(1), indicates oil & filter changes are required every 12 months or 12,000km. The 2004 Service Passport, page 14, contains an "Engine Oil and Filter Log" according to which the engine oil and filter are to be replaced every 6 months or 6,000km. A fold-out flyer, with the name "Hyundai Your Factory recommended maintenance schedule" and the name and address of "West Ottawa Hyundai" on the front, indicates oil and filter are to be replaced every 3 months or 6,000km. I personally consider 6 months/6,000km to be a reasonable interval for this type of service. Please clarify to me, in writing, which of the contradicting statements is correct.

Hyundai's reply was to change every 3-months/6,000km, whichever occurs first.

I would not mind changing every 6,000km, but I don't like the 3-month, in the winter I just don't drive much (retired).